Glory, page 6
Glory smiled. “I’m so happy that we’ll be able to celebrate it together.” She touched a quick hand to the woman’s shoulder, then moved toward the back of the bus, pausing to respond to comments along the way.
Finally, they settled at the back and Jeniah, who had requested the right to drive the bus that would transport the Princess, called out, “And we’re off!”
With a rumble, the bus carrying Glory and Mitaru, Glory’s Royal Guard, Thorne and Kalina, and Nako’s Guardian unit of the Eastern Veil, pulled away from their last camping grounds and began the final phase of their long journey home.
Chapter Nine
GLORY WOKE WITH a start.
Everything felt different.
Everything.
She glanced around.
It was dark outside and everyone else on the bus was still sleeping.
She carefully extricated herself from Mitaru’s arms, pausing a moment to brush a kiss across his cheek, before standing and making her way toward the front of the bus.
“Where are we?” she asked Jeniah.
“We just passed through the shield surrounding the western territories. We’re in the state of Missouri, about four hours from Lawrence, Kansas, but at least now we’re inside lands claimed by the magic of Faerie.”
Yes.
That was it exactly.
The air felt cleaner.
The lands weren’t crying out in pain, making her heart bleed.
Her throat wasn’t quite so parched from the feel of the gritty, dying waters of the earth.
“Everything’s healed here.”
“Yes.”
"I’m surprised Astra took this much land from the mortals.”
“In the beginning, she just took a little, but the mortals kept demanding we return what little land we had taken, so she took a bit more, and then some more again. Then she got really angry, the more stories we heard from the indigenous tribes of the Americas.
“She said it would be one thing if the mortals had taken the lands and cared for them even half as well as the tribes did. Instead, they destroyed them.
“So she kept taking the lands back and giving them to the tribes who had lost them. Not that she’s displaced anyone who’s actually living on the lands. It was more symbolic than anything, putting the deeds for the lands in the names of the Indigenous Tribes.”
“Wait. What do you mean, the tribes lost their lands? How does one lose a land?”
“They were taken from them by other mortals. The Tribes were pushed into smaller patches of land far from their ancestral homes and they’ve been there ever since. There’s a graphic online. It’s quite distressing actually. Apparently, it barely took a hundred years to take ninety-nine percent of their lands away from the Tribes.”
Glory was speechless. She had no idea what a graphic was or what it meant to be online, but she certainly understood the rest of what Jeniah was saying.
One hundred years to steal the land.
She wondered how many years it had taken the mortal thieves to destroy it, if it had taken them just as long or if they’d managed it in a fraction of that time.
“Good for Astra,” she muttered, a fierce anger burning deep inside.
Jeniah gave a short nod. “Exactly what I said. Good for her.”
Glory settled in the seat to the right of Jeniah and spoke with her softly as they traveled through the night.
A few hours later, she returned to the back of the bus where Mitaru was just starting to stir.
She settled into his arms again and together they stared out the back of the bus and watched the sun rise.
That same sun was high in the sky when Jeniah called out that they were approaching the secondary shield.
“There’s a secondary shield?” Nako asked.
“There is,” Jeniah said. “It surrounds the city of Lawrence. Actually, there’s a Judicia Forest outside the city and it only allows in those it deems worthy. The secondary shield’s a lot pickier than the tertiary one.
“There’s a third shield now?” Thorne leaned forward to ask.
“There is. Astra has claimed quite a bit more land since you three have been gone.”
“Did we already go through the tertiary shield then?” Mitaru wondered.
“We did,” Jeniah said. “Several hours ago. You were all sound asleep. Anyway, the tertiary shield surrounds all of the territory Astra has claimed for the Fae. The secondary shield only surrounds the city of Lawrence.”
“So what’s the primary shield?” Nako wondered.
Jeniah threw a grin over their shoulder at them. “You’ll see.”
An hour later, they had made it through the Judicia Forest, a sight that took Glory’s breath away.
She was simply amazed that Astra had managed such an incredible feat.
To grow a Judicia Forest, a true construct of Faerie, here in the mortal realm, was inconceivable and truly remarkable.
As they traveled through the town of Lawrence, Glory noted that it did not resemble any mortal town she had seen to date.
The vegetation was incredible. Vines climbed the walls of buildings, making it appear as if those buildings were just a continuation of the forest they’d left behind.
The streets were made of cobblestone and dirt rather than the concrete the mortals seemed to favor and there were gardens everywhere.
“It’s beautiful,” Raiyana breathed.
“I did not expect this of the mortals,” Talvenia said.
“I doubt this is the mortals’ doing,” Glory said. “This has Astra’s magic written all over it. I wonder how the mortals feel about the transformation of this town.”
Mitaru chuckled. “They seem happy enough.” He pointed out the window and Glory saw that he was right.
Children were playing in what appeared to be a miniature forest maze that wove in and out of a community garden.
Laughter rang through the air.
“That’s a lovely sight,” Xilarin said. “It has been entirely too long since I have seen children at play.”
This was the dark side of being such a long-lived species. The longer one lived, the greater the distance between those who were young and innocent and the one who had seen centuries of life.
That distance grew until often there was no innocence left even in the periphery of an adult Fae’s life.
Glory caught her breath as she felt a pull on her magic. A quick glance around told her everyone else had felt it as well.
“That must have been the primary shield,” Nako said. “I didn’t even notice it until we were through it.”
“By the fates,” one of the Guardians exclaimed. “Is that a castle?”
“It sure is!” Jeniah called out.
“It’s gotten a lot bigger since we left,” Kalina said.
“Yes, well, wait until you see it up close. The minute we knew you were headed here with so many more Guardians, we started expanding it.”
“It looks like it’s made of vines,” Nako said.
“That’s because it is,” Jeniah said. “It’s made entirely of the living earth. There are gardens everywhere, inside and out, and you’re just going to love it. It’s kind of crazy outside the shield, but here inside it, we have the next best thing to Faerie itself.”
Silence fell as everyone watched the castle get closer.
“It’s beautiful,” another of the Guardians murmured.
She was right.
The castle was simply breathtaking.
The walls appeared to be made from tightly woven, flowering vines. There were long walkways connecting corner towers and a huge courtyard that looked like something out of one of those fairy tales Thorne had been talking about.
“And we’re here!” The rumble of the bus engine died as Jeniah turned to grin at them. “Well, come on. It’s time to see your new home!” She opened the door and led the way down the steps.
The Guardians in the bus all turned to look at Glory.
She smiled back at them. “Go ahead. We’ll be right behind you.”
It took several minutes for everyone to get off the bus.
The Guardians of the Eastern Veil exited first, followed by Nako, Thorne and Kalina, then by Glory’s Royal Guard.
Mitaru pulled Glory to her feet, threaded his fingers through hers and together they followed her Guard down the aisle toward their new life together.
Chapter Ten
“I DON’T SEE her, Kahji. I don’t see her.” Astra couldn’t keep the anxiety from her voice.
“Yiveren assured you she’s on the final one and there it is.” Kahji pointed toward the bus that was just then making the turn into the small parking lot the Fae had constructed from stone when Astra had finally come to terms with everything she needed to do to ensure the Fae didn’t just survive, but that they thrived in their new world.
First on that list had been the need to acquire a better mode of transportation than the few horses they’d had at the time. It still hadn’t been enough. She’d had to trade entirely too many favors for the use of three additional buses to bring her Guardians home.
Still, looking around at the parking lot that was now filled with Guardians anxiously awaiting the last of their brethren, the cost of those favors was a small price to pay.
Especially when it also brought her sister home that much faster.
Astra bounced up on and down on the balls of her feet, anxious to see Glory at long last. “Come on, Kahji. Let’s get closer.” She dragged him through the crowd.
“Fine.” Kahji laughed. “Just remember—she’s not going to be the first one off the bus. In fact, I would imagine she’ll probably be the last one off. Her Royal Guard will insist upon it.”
“Yes, yes, I know.” Astra watched anxiously as the doors opened and Jeniah stepped through them.
Jeniah turned and everyone waited for a long moment before the final unit of the Guardians of the Eastern Veil began to descend the steps.
They moved away from the bus, greeting friends who waited them, then turned to watch with everyone else as first, Talvenia, the Captain of Glory’s Royal Guard, and then the rest of her Guard, stepped out one by one.
As they exited, they formed a double line facing each other on either side of the door, creating an Honor Guard for Glory.
Astra grinned.
Glory would hate that. She wasn’t one to stand on ceremony unless it was to make a point, like she had with the mortals.
Here, among the Fae, though—
Yep.
Astra giggled as Glory appeared in the doorway and rolled her eyes at her Royal Guard.
Glory must have heard Astra’s laugh because her head jerked up and she scanned the crowd.
Astra was already moving when Glory caught sight of her and darted forward as well.
The Honor Guard was a complete waste since Glory was through it in a flash, flinging herself into Astra’s arms.
They came together in an explosion of relief and tears, clutching each other close, trying to share everything they had missed, but entirely too excited to be anything but incoherent.
Finally, with a laugh, they pulled back and simply smiled at each other.
Glory looked absolutely stunning to Astra’s eyes, not at all like she’d been missing for eighteen months. “You’re not hurt?”
Glory shook her head. “We were all frozen behind the shield. Basically, my magic put us all to sleep.”
Astra thought she should probably be surprised, but she was entirely too relieved to feel anything else.
“You’re safe too?” Glory asked. “No injuries?”
Astra shook her head. “I’m fine. Oh, but I’m mated.” She reached back and grabbed Kahji’s hand and pulled him forward.
For a moment, Glory looked stunned, then a look of pure fury crossed her face. “Is this a joke? He denied you were mates for a thousand years!”
Astra winced. That probably hadn’t been the best way to break the news to Glory. She should have led up to it slowly.
“That was the worst mistake of my life, Princess Glory,” Kahji said. “I thought I was protecting the princess, that I wasn’t worthy of her.”
Glory scowled. “Rest assured, you were right. You are not worthy of her.”
“Glory!” Astra gasped.
“He made you think you weren’t mates, Astra, sent you searching elsewhere for something you would never find. He made you wait a thousand years. And now he suddenly decides he wants to claim you?”
Astra grinned. "Believe me, I made him work for it.”
“She did,” Kahji agreed.
Glory glared at him. “If you ever make her cry again the way she did on her hundredth birthday, I will eviscerate you.”
Astra glanced up in time to see Kahji’s jaw tighten. She knew it was because he did not like to be reminded of how much he had hurt her.
“You would be well within your rights,” he said. “I shall devote my life to making things right with her and her family.”
Glory was silent for a long moment, studying Kahji, before she finally said, “All right, then. You’ve got one chance and one chance only. Do not let my sister down.”
She smiled at Astra. “And on that note, I have news as well.” She reached behind her and grabbed Mitaru’s hand.
Astra hadn’t even noticed him standing there.
Glory pulled him to her side. “I’ve found my mate.”
“Mitaru’s your mate?” Astra exclaimed. “This is wonderful!” She’d spent the last eighteen months feeling so guilty about sending the Guardians east. She’d been grateful only three of them had managed to penetrate the shield, but also sick with worry and guilt that they hadn’t made it out again.
Knowing that Mitaru was Glory’s mate relieved some of that guilt. He was probably meant to be there all along, to help Glory regain control of her magic, which was no doubt how he’d managed to break through the shield in the first place. Kalina and Thorne had probably only been allowed in because of the bonds the three shared between them.
“Congratulations!” Astra beamed at her sister and Mitaru. She was so happy for each of them, she couldn’t say whom she was more delighted for in that moment.
“Thanks,” Glory said. “Any chance we can have our celebration this evening? I’ve made Mitaru wait long enough, I think.”
“You waited to celebrate with us?” Astra gave a hop of excitement. “This is fabulous. We’re going to have a mating celebration!” She shouted.
Cheers and clapping erupted around them as Guardians from both the Western and Eastern Veils shared a moment of pure joy.
*.*.*.*.*
The sun was just beginning to set when Glory faced Mitaru in front of huge crowds of Fae and mortals alike.
She’d expected the Guardians to attend, if only because Mitaru was one of them. She’d also expected, of course, that her sister and Kahji would attend, plus both their Royal Guards, but word had spread throughout the afternoon that a Royal mating ceremony was about to take place.
It was Fae tradition to travel long distances for mating ceremonies and for a Royal ceremony, that was doubly true.
Glory simply hadn’t realized how many Fae were locked on the mortal side of the Veils until they began arriving in droves for her mating Ceremony.
Even more astonishing was the joy with which they greeted her, even though she knew their hearts were bleeding for all they had lost and left behind in Faerie.
During those eighteen months Glory had been sleeping, Astra had apparently been building strong bonds with the indigenous communities and other mortals.
As a result, they, too, arrived to celebrate her sister’s mating.
And so the mating took place near a lake on the land Astra had claimed, right beside the primary shield so that mortals could bear witness as well.
“Glory.” Mitaru held her hands in his, stared into her eyes and spoke his vows with a firm voice. ““I see eternity in your eyes and no matter the length of our days, I shall know peace so long as you are by my side. I offer you everything that I am, everything that I have been and everything I’ve yet to become, in this realm and in any other, in this lifetime and in all the rest. With you, for you, Glory, I am my best self.”
Glory was a Fae princess, and as such, was used to having many eyes upon her at all times. She was used to giving speeches and even to serving justice when needed, but this, standing in front of crowds of both mortals and Fae, pledging her life and love to her mate, something so intimate it made her heart squeeze, was an entirely different beast.
She could barely find her voice now that it was time to speak her vows in return.
She had to clear her throat twice before she could made herself be heard. “Mitaru, my love, I see eternity in your eyes and no matter the length of our days, I shall know peace so long as you are by my side. I offer you everything that I am, everything that I have been and everything I’ve yet to become, in this realm and in any other, in this lifetime and in all the rest.”
She took a deep breath, the feeling of pressure easing as she finished with a song in her heart. “With you, for you, Mitaru, I am my best self.”
A thousand blessings be upon this mating. It was Queen Naira’s voice that offered the blessing, but the words seemed to come from everywhere, from the trees and the wind that swept through them, from the lake and the waters that shifted within it, from the grass beneath their feet and the clouds in the sky above.
Glory’s eyes teared up to hear her mother’s voice, offering the traditional blessing for her mating.
Queen Naira was still in Faerie, far from her daughters, yet somehow she managed to be there with Glory in this moment, to share with her and Mitaru their greatest joy.
Glory lost herself in Mitaru’s eyes, her heart singing with joy, as Queen Naira’s magic rained down upon them in tiny sparks of power, a royal blessing from Faerie that set their matebond aflame.
Glory was reaching for Mitaru when Astra swept her away. “Time to celebrate!”
And so the hours passed as tradition dictated, with Glory and Mitaru dancing, never quite together, but never too far apart, either, celebrating with their many friends, dancing long into the night.
